Contents

Biology

Misdreavus is a dark bluish-green, ghost-like Pokémon. While it has no visible arms or legs, its lower half has several small appendages and resembles a ruffled dress. It has several round red gems around its neck, which are used to absorb fear and use it as nourishment. It has long, flowing lilac-tipped "hair". Misdreavus's large, red eyes have yellow sclerae.

Misdreavus lives in caves. As a nocturnal Pokémon, it spends its days sleeping in darkness and its nights startling people with mischievous tricks. Since it loves watching frightened people, it is known to yank and bite at people's hair or sneak up on them and cry and shriek. Previously, it was the only known Pokémon that could learn Pain Split by level up.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

A Misdreavus appeared in Misdreavus Misgivings, under the ownership of Morty. It is one of his strongest battlers, being able to both exploit its own abilities and those of its opponents using non-damaging attacks like Spite. Having used it in the Gym Leaders' Tournament match (which ended in a draw due to it using Destiny Bond), he still keeps it in his team to this day.

Origin

Misdreavus' nocturnal habits of wailing to frighten people and its similarity in appearance to a disembodied head are shared by various mythological creatures. One of these is the nukekubi, which shares the similarities of nocturnal habits, flying about as a decapitated head, and wailing to increase its victims' fright. Another possible origin is the banshee, a female spirit from Irish mythology, known for its unearthly wailing and screaming.

Name origin

Misdreavus is a corruption of mischievous. It may also incorporate mistress, miscreant (since it scares people), dream, dread, dreary, and reave (to rob).

Muma may be a corruption of 夢魔 muma (nightmare or a demon in a dream).